Report: Southwest Airlines Flew 'Unsafe' Planes

[Ian]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- -- Discount air carrier Southwest Airlines flew thousands of passengers on aircraft that federal inspectors said were "unsafe" as recently as last March, according to detailed congressional documents obtained by CNN.

Documents submitted by FAA inspectors to congressional investigators allege the airline flew at least 117 of its planes in violation of mandatory safety checks. In some cases, the documents say, the planes flew for 30 months after government inspection deadlines had passed and should have been grounded until the inspections could be completed.

The planes were "not airworthy," according to congressional air safety investigators.

Calling it "one of the worst safety violations" he has ever seen, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, is expected to call a hearing as soon as possible to ask why the airline put its passengers in danger.

Southwest Airlines, which carried more passengers in the United States than any other airline last year, declined comment.

"We are not doing interviews. We are only preparing for the hearings at this time," said Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King.

The documents obtained by CNN also allege that some management officials at the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency responsible for commercial air safety, knew the planes were flying "unsafely" and did nothing about it.

"The result of inspection failures, and enforcement failure, has meant that aircraft have flown unsafe, unairworthy, and at risk of lives," Oberstar told CNN.
He said both FAA managers and the airline may also have broken the law as well as threatened the safety of Southwest passengers.

The documents were prepared by two FAA safety inspectors who have requested whistle-blower status from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is headed by Oberstar. The two inspectors have been subpoenaed to testify before the committee.

The whistle-blowers say FAA managers knew about the lapse in safety at Southwest, but decided to allow the airline to conduct the safety checks on a slower schedule because taking "aircraft out of service would have disrupted Southwest Airlines' flight schedule."

According to statements made by one of the FAA inspectors seeking whistle-blower status, a manager at the FAA "permitted the operation of these unsafe aircraft in a matter that would provide relief" to the airline, even though customers were on board.

The safety inspections ignored or delayed by the airline were mandated after two fatal crashes and one fatal incident, all involving Boeing's 737, the only type of airplane Southwest flies.

In 1994, a U.S. Air Boeing 737 crashed in Pittsburgh killing 132. Three years earlier, a United Airlines Boeing 737 crashed in Colorado Springs, killing 25. Investigators blamed both crashes on problems in the planes' rudder control system, leading the FAA to demand regular checks of the 737's rudder system.

Documents provided to CNN show 70 Southwest jets were allowed to fly past the deadline for the mandatory rudder inspections.

The documents also show 47 more Southwest jets kept flying after missing deadlines for inspections for cracks in the planes' fuselage or "skin."

The long-term, mandatory checks for fuselage cracks were required after the cabin of an Aloha Airlines 737 tore apart in mid-air in 1988, killing a flight attendant. That incident, which opened much of the top of the plane during flight, was attributed to cracks in the plane's fuselage that grew wider as the plane underwent pressure changes during flight.

An FAA inspector at a Southwest Airlines maintenance facility spotted a fuselage crack on one of the airline's 737s last year, according to the congressional documents. He notified the airline and then began looking through safety records, discovering dozens of planes that had missed mandatory inspection deadlines.

According to the inspector's statement in congressional documents: "Southwest Airlines at the time of discovery did not take immediate, corrective action as required to address this unsafe condition and continued to fly the affected aircraft with paying passengers."

The documents show Southwest Airlines voluntarily disclosed some of the missed inspections last spring, and Southwest Airlines told the Wall Street Journal it did not expect any civil penalties to be imposed because of the self-disclosure.

But, even after the airline's disclosure, FAA inspectors assert that planes continued to fly, in some cases for more than a week, before inspections were complete. The airline "did not take immediate, corrective action," according to the congressional documents obtained by CNN.

"That is wrong," said Oberstar. "When an aircraft is flying out of compliance with airworthiness directives, it is to be shut down and brought in for maintenance inspection. That's the law."

Southwest Airlines has never had a catastrophic crash. Federal investigators determined a 2005 incident at Midway airport in Chicago that killed one person on the ground was the result of pilot error, as was a 2000 incident at Burbank airport in California that seriously injured 2 passengers.

[Gooftroop5]

If the cost of flying, security & airport delays weren't enought lets add another reason not to fly.

Thanks for the article.

[tennantsrwe]

Oh my! I don't do the whole flying thing anyway...just not my thing. This just kinda reinforces why, lol. Thanks for the info!

[WriteDisney]

Found this article on CNN about Southwest.. I know alot of intercoters use SWA during their travels to and from WDW (as have I).. so I just thought I would bring your attention to this article on CNN about "unsafe planes"

Article below...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- -- Discount air carrier Southwest Airlines flew thousands of passengers on aircraft that federal inspectors said were "unsafe" as recently as last March, according to detailed congressional documents obtained by CNN.


Congressional documents show Southwest Airlines flew thousands of passengers on aircraft deemed "unsafe" by federal inspectors.

Documents submitted by FAA inspectors to congressional investigators allege the airline flew at least 117 of its planes in violation of mandatory safety checks. In some cases, the documents say, the planes flew for 30 months after government inspection deadlines had passed and should have been grounded until the inspections could be completed.

The planes were "not airworthy," according to congressional air safety investigators.

Calling it "one of the worst safety violations" he has ever seen, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, is expected to call a hearing as soon as possible to ask why the airline put its passengers in danger.

Southwest Airlines, which carried more passengers in the United States than any other airline last year, declined comment.

"We are not doing interviews. We are only preparing for the hearings at this time," said Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King.

The documents obtained by CNN also allege that some management officials at the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency responsible for commercial air safety, knew the planes were flying "unsafely" and did nothing about it. CNN's Drew Griffin uncovers 'troubling information' »

"The result of inspection failures, and enforcement failure, has meant that aircraft have flown unsafe, unairworthy, and at risk of lives," Oberstar told CNN.

He said both FAA managers and the airline may also have broken the law as well as threatened the safety of Southwest passengers.

The documents were prepared by two FAA safety inspectors who have requested whistle-blower status from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is headed by Oberstar. The two inspectors have been subpoenaed to testify before the committee.

The whistle-blowers say FAA managers knew about the lapse in safety at Southwest, but decided to allow the airline to conduct the safety checks on a slower schedule because taking "aircraft out of service would have disrupted Southwest Airlines' flight schedule."

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According to statements made by one of the FAA inspectors seeking whistle-blower status, a manager at the FAA "permitted the operation of these unsafe aircraft in a matter that would provide relief" to the airline, even though customers were on board.

The safety inspections ignored or delayed by the airline were mandated after two fatal crashes and one fatal incident, all involving Boeing's 737, the only type of airplane Southwest flies.

In 1994, a U.S. Air Boeing 737 crashed in Pittsburgh killing 132. Three years earlier, a United Airlines Boeing 737 crashed in Colorado Springs, killing 25. Investigators blamed both crashes on problems in the planes' rudder control system, leading the FAA to demand regular checks of the 737's rudder system.

Documents provided to CNN show 70 Southwest jets were allowed to fly past the deadline for the mandatory rudder inspections.

The documents also show 47 more Southwest jets kept flying after missing deadlines for inspections for cracks in the planes' fuselage or "skin."

The long-term, mandatory checks for fuselage cracks were required after the cabin of an Aloha Airlines 737 tore apart in mid-air in 1988, killing a flight attendant. That incident, which opened much of the top of the plane during flight, was attributed to cracks in the plane's fuselage that grew wider as the plane underwent pressure changes during flight.

An FAA inspector at a Southwest Airlines maintenance facility spotted a fuselage crack on one of the airline's 737s last year, according to the congressional documents. He notified the airline and then began looking through safety records, discovering dozens of planes that had missed mandatory inspection deadlines.

According to the inspector's statement in congressional documents: "Southwest Airlines at the time of discovery did not take immediate, corrective action as required to address this unsafe condition and continued to fly the affected aircraft with paying passengers."

The documents show Southwest Airlines voluntarily disclosed some of the missed inspections last spring, and Southwest Airlines told the Wall Street Journal it did not expect any civil penalties to be imposed because of the self-disclosure.

But, even after the airline's disclosure, FAA inspectors assert that planes continued to fly, in some cases for more than a week, before inspections were complete. The airline "did not take immediate, corrective action," according to the congressional documents obtained by CNN.


"That is wrong," said Oberstar. "When an aircraft is flying out of compliance with airworthiness directives, it is to be shut down and brought in for maintenance inspection. That's the law."

Southwest Airlines has never had a catastrophic crash. Federal investigators determined a 2005 incident at Midway airport in Chicago that killed one person on the ground was the result of pilot error, as was a 2000 incident at Burbank airport in California that seriously injured 2 passengers. E-mail to a friend

[Donald's Girl]

The irony of all this coming out is that Southwest has consistently had the best safety record! We have always flown Southwest and now I must admit I'm a little nervous too!

[thrillme]

You know...it's funny. If Southwest flew unsafe planes then why is it you've never heard of an accident regarding Southwest?

All the "accidents", "Crashes" or "emergency landings" seem to come from OTHER carriers. I think somebody just jealous because Southwest is the only airlines still making it work.

[Ian]

It's not that you've never heard about a Southwest crash ... it's that there's never been one!

The article even mentions in the last paragraph that Southwest has never had a catastrophic crash.

[BMan62]

I like what one person said on another site - (to paraphrase) "I wonder if this has something to do with the fact that the Congressman was from Minnesota, home base for Northwest Airlines?"

Also, let's see the same reports on the other airlines and see how they stack up.

This will not put a damper on my using SW for flights. If anything, they will now go on a tear making sure all their planes are 100% covered for maintenance.

[DisneyWhirled]

I just read this on CNN. I am so bummed!! We have taken SW numerous times in the last few years...and another trip coming up in May!

I hate to fly, and this news makes me even more nervous!

C'mon SW FIX THOSE PLANES!!!!!!!!!

I've got to wonder, how many airlines are failing this and just not getting caught??

With the amount of air travel done today, there need to be MUCH more strict guidelines!!

[PirateLover]

Oh god, my fiance is already scared of flying, and Southwest is our favorite airline! He's always saying how he things the planes look like they're about to fall apart, lol.... I'll have to hope he doesn't see this....

[KAT1811]

I also wonder how many other airlines are out of compliance. Many times the press seems to be more interested in the most successful of the delinquent. We fly SW all the time (because they are the only airline out of our airport that flies nonstop). I hope they fix whatever problems they are having ASAP. I think it is horrible that a company would put it's passengers in harms way for any reason. They are flying with the most precious cargo I have and I have a high expectation of safety, especially when the matter is out of my hands.

[mickey&missy]

We're flying SW Saturday to WDW. This make me realllllllly nervous! Uggh!!

[hunnyluvsthemouse]

My DH is an airline captain for a different carrier, and after reading the above report, I still believe that it is safer to fly than drive a car. How many "unsafe" drivers are there out on the road on a daily basis.

[AZ Disney]

I'm the wife of a SWA Captain and my DH told me not to be concerned yet. He planned to check internally and see what this was all about. Unfortunately, he was getting ready to push back, so I don't know much, but he reminded me not to believe everything I read in the media.

[WriteDisney]

Originally Posted by DisneyWhirled

I've got to wonder, how many airlines are failing this and just not getting caught??

With the amount of air travel done today, there need to be MUCH more strict guidelines!!

Yea it makes you wonder doesn't it? At least its out in the open so SW will be forced to get up to standards and will be watched more closely in the future... it'll probably end up being more safe in the future because of this and how it will be watched..

like the others said.. it makes you wonder about other airlines.. i can only try to look at the good and see that it'll just make flying more safe....

[goofy for pluto]

A friend of mine who is a pilot for a private airline, hates to fly commercial for this very reason. He said that each crew looks at the plane and figures that the plane will make it as far as they need to go. Then they can get paid and the next crew can ground the plane."

[Dixie Springs]

DD on the way home from spring training @ Disney's World of Sports, via Southwest - glad the article reads "...flew unsafe planes.."

[Ian]

Originally Posted by BMan62

If anything, they will now go on a tear making sure all their planes are 100% covered for maintenance.

That's what I'm thinking. The safest time to fly, historically speaking, is right after a major crash or maintenance incident. Everyone will be on top of this now ... at least for the forseeable future, anyway.

Originally Posted by hunnyluvsthemouse

My DH is an airline captain for a different carrier, and after reading the above report, I still believe that it is safer to fly than drive a car. How many "unsafe" drivers are there out on the road on a daily basis.

I agree 100%. I always say that you're probably 100 times more likely to be killed in a car crash on the way to the airport than you are in an airline crash.

[thrillme]

Well we just got back from our Spring Break trip. We flew Southwest and we survived just fine. The little air bags never even dropped and the stewardess sang a cheery little song.

I suspect they duck taped all the important spots, tied up the engines with bailing wire and all's well.

[Ed]

This doesn't shake my confidence in SWA at all. In fact, I booked two trips with them just this morning. The type of defect that they were supposed to look for is pretty rare, and even when it does develop it rarely causes any operational problems. Nonetheless, yes - - they should have conducted the checks, and now they'll have to take their lumps for their failure.

In my mind, the fault lies more with the FAA than with the airline. From all I've read, they knew about these missed inspections and failed to do anything about it. In fact, it was SWA's own people who reported the missed inspections.

I'd be a little more concerned about two recent incidents with another carrier; in one case, a piece fell off a wing, breaking a passenger's window when it hit the fuselage. And in the second incident the Captain's authorized firearm had an "accidental discharge", punching a hole in the fuselage. (I really have to wonder (1) where that piece landed, and (2) where that bullet landed? ) Both planes landed safely.

I'd still rather take my chances flying than to make lengthy drives on I-4 and I-95, two of the most dangerous roads in the entire Interstate system.